Envision Minnesota has merged its operations with the Great Plains Institute (GPI) as of July 1, 2013. Envision Minnesota’s Board of Directors sees the merger as an opportunity to increase its impact and more effectively achieve its mission to promote development that creates healthy communities while conserving natural areas, family farms, woodlands and water.

The Great Plains Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that convenes diverse interests to build consensus for advancing sustainable energy policy and practices in seven programmatic areas: energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, fossil energy, renewable energy & fuels, transportation, international collaboration, and sustainable communities. As part of their sustainable communities work, GPI leads a public-private partnership called GreenStep Cities, a voluntary, statewide program that assists Minnesota cities in achieving their sustainable development goals across five areas – land use, transportation, economic & community development, buildings, and environmental management. In two years, GreenStep Cities has grown to 54 participating communities, which represent 23 percent of the state’s population.

“We believe this merger makes sense because of the Great Plains Institute’s record of success, and how strongly our mission aligns with the GreenStep Cities program, which offers a great vehicle for bringing to scale many of the proven solutions we have championed,” says Lee Helgen, Executive Director of Envision Minnesota. “We also like GPI’s ability to impact public policy at a broader scale, helping the nation, region and state achieve a sustainable energy system and globally competitive communities. Being part of a larger organization has long-term benefits for our mission.”

Click here to read the full news release announcing Envision Minnesota's intent to merge with the Great Plains Institute.